Sony’s world-first QD-OLED TV might not be a game-changer, but it is still brilliant
QD-OLED TELEVISION
£2399
Sony’s A95K stakes its place as the first QD-OLED set we have reviewed, with Samsung’s QE65S95B (see page 42) hot on its heels. OLED has become the premium TV tech of choice thanks to its perfect blacks, pixel-level contrast control, near-perfect viewing angles, super-thin designs and increasingly aggressive pricing. QD-OLED is (broadly speaking) designed to blend the best qualities of both OLED and QLED and so is expected to overcome OLED’s main limitation – brightness.
If you were therefore expecting the A95K to be vastly brighter than the OLED norm, you may be disappointed. In fact, it’s fair to say that the first QD-OLED TV isn’t a huge leap in quality over the best standard OLED TVs you can now buy. It is better, though, and that makes it a truly exceptional TV.
Sony has designed the A95K to be as minimalist as possible, and at 4.3cm the A95K is just a smidge thinner than the LG C2 (4.5cm). Because the plastic chassis section at the back covers more of the set’s rear than is typical of an OLED, it could possibly be mistaken for a backlit TV, with only a small section of OLED super-slimness on display.
Two 48gbps HDMI 2.1 ports support 4K 120Hz gaming, although one of those sockets also handles eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) for a soundbar or AVR. VRR works out of the box, while ALLM is supported, as is the PS5-specific Auto Genre Picture Mode.
Of course, the most exciting feature of the A95K is its QD-OLED panel, which Sony has apparently enhanced through the use of a heat-diffusion sheet that distributes heat more effectively, and temperature distribution mapping that helps prevent image retention. Sony’s Cognitive Processor XR has a big role to play in terms of getting the most out of the QD-OLED panel, with an enhanced version of its Flexible Colour Contrast Control feature seemingly designed to make the most of the potential extra vibrancy made available by the new panel. A new ‘Depth Map’ feature identifies and enhances near objects, while slightly suppressing the background in order to increase depth perception.
Depth and solidity
Kicking off with Rogue One in Dolby Vision, the depth and solidity of the image is immediately striking. The Rebel Alliance U-Wing ship stands out brilliantly from the desert landscape of Jedha, while the mountain-top city and Star Destroyer hovering above it are reproduced with exceptional three-dimensionality. This solidity is the result of a combinat
